Sharika Roland

In my studio we have tape on the floor for walls. Everybody respects that tape as though there was a real wall there. I might wander into someone else’s space to see what is new, but I feel like I am in their space.

I was thinking how much we mentally invade someones else’s space every day with our lives. Personally I enjoy letting people in and spending time with them. the only time I don’t like it is if they barge in. Then I recoil and want them to leave. The only thing that is different between someone asking to come in and someone barging in is their attitude. If you act like you are knocking on the door I will open it but if you just walk in, forget it. Mental door slams shut. Not only mental door emotional door heart door and every important door shuts. I am sure I have barged into someone’s space before without knocking but I try not to.

Here in this blog, the door is wide open. Tell me everything. the door is open, come in.

When you just start out any creative thing and you have never done it before — don’t say ” I am not very good at this or that.” Give yourself room to be really not good at something and just enjoy the experience. Who cares what anyone thinks. You are just starting out.

The first time I painted I did big globs of paint all over the boards and let them drip all over and smeared them together. I was getting my feet wet. Now I am pretty good at painting a few things but at first I was not. I just had the most fun in the world when was trying. That is how you know if you should try try try again. If you are uncomfortable the whole time doing something, your mind will say ” Get me out of here.”

I was not good at piano and no matter how much a tried I did not get a groove on. My son on the other hand was playing jazz after only a few lessons and going off into his own world and it was amazing to listen to him be him. He was thinking his playing was no big deal but everyone  who was fortunate enough to listen to him play a while was transported into total bliss. He had a way of hearing that I could not hear. He was just a kid but what a glorious kid.

I hate sewing. I feel like I am going to die the whole time I am even by a needle and thread. My friend is so at home working with material and threads and needles and machines that she does that for her main job. So if you want to know if you should do something. Your body will tell you.

photo by this person.

Some people say I have strong opinions. My question is how many other kinds of opinions are there? Do you have weak opinions?? You kinda think this or that. No !I contend you should have strong opinions or forget it don’t play the opinion game. I want to know what you think because well YOu might be right and I might be wrong. Let me have it. Your precious strong opinion. I will listen and consider it. Every opinion is strong till you hear something stronger.

Let it fly, You might have just the thing I need to hear to make things better. Or you may be totally wrong yourself. who cares who is right. We all do. If you know something is true true because you have had direct experience of your truth working then tell everyone. That is what I think!

This is the opposite of political correctness. Just say it baby. Let me have it straight between the eyes.

I wish I could see myself as others do. We have a warped idea of who we are. I think a video camera following us around for a few days would be highly illuminating. Even when we look in the mirror it is not what everyone else sees. How much more than our actions and words and looks.

Those reality shows are so interesting to me because I wonder how the people must be different after seeing themselves on camera.

Has anyone out there seen something like that or been in a reality show. I think it would be helpful.It would be neat if we could step outside of ourselves whenever we wanted to get a better idea of what to do next. It is so much easier to see what someone else should do.

I would never teach. I know many artists do teach and that is fine for them but not for me. the reason I would never teach is the reason people take a class from you. they want to paint like you. I never want anyone to paint like me or be like me. they should be like them. Them is what the world needs not another me.

That said if I did have a class I would yell and scream for them to find their own voice. I would spend all the time looking for that voice. I am against teaching but for encouraging. If I could encourage a voice to come out that was previously silent I would do it. What people want from artists is to tell them how to be an artist themselves.
Here is how to be an artist.

Go into a room by yourself and ask yourself three questions.

1.  Can I not do this?? If you can say yes to that then you should not be an artist.
2. Do I care what people think about me?? If you say yes then forget it.
3. Am I willing to do what it takes even if I am sacred and tired and cautious. If you answer no even for a second, even for a second then forget it. do something else. there is nothing wrong in doing something else.

Being an artist is not laughing it up in the studio all day. It is grueling sometimes. It is grueling when you are not in the studio and are going to be sick because you are not in the studio facing the day. Being an artist is like being killed over and over again and having your guts laid out on the floor with blood everywhere. till the beautiful thing shows up and then you can go home. But you dont get to rest on your laurels .

NO that thing you did yesterday is over and you  have to do it again. You get that show done and then there is the next one to get out. And it better be better than the last one. You have to keep getting better. So it never gets easier. No only harder.

If all this sounds good to you then run to your nearest art supply store and spend all your money and get a studio and start working your head off. Because you are a real artist.and you can never be anything else. They will not tell you this in art school, it is the secret of life for every every every artist that makes a living at it.